Headlight deflector



June 2,1925.

R. L. ANDERSON HEADLIGHT DEFLECTOR Filed March 14. Z-Shecs-Sheet 1 0 M. I I I .j I m June 2, 1925.

. R. L. ANDERSON HEADLIGHT DBFLECTOR Filed Marcii 14. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvenio'a Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES i -1, 4 ,613 P ENT;..;oFF1cE Burns L. annnnsolv, or ORLANDO, mam.

H ADLIGHT DEFLEGTOR.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, RUFUS L. ANDERSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Orlando, in the county of Orange and Stat-e of Florida, have iiiventednew anduseful V Improvements in Headlight Deflectors, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to deflectors for headlights and proposes the construction of means normally out of the path of the beam of light emanating from headlight lens and movable at thefwill of the driver of theautomobile or other vehicle upon which the headlights may be mounted, to a position in which the upperjpart of the beam is deflected toward the roadway, avoiding the projection of blinding rays into the eyes of an approaching driver. y

Another object of the inventionis the provision of a, transparent member carried by'the light-deflecting means and so located as to lie in the path of rays emerging directly from the bulbfor other source of light when the deflector is inlight-deflecting position.

sen another object "or the' i nve ntion re- 7 sides in means for adjusting the deflector for the purpose of predeterm'ining its range in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to whichmy invention relates.

.In the drawings accompanylng and fornr ing a part of this specification, and wherein the preferred embodimcntiof my invention deflecting position.

illustrated Figure 1 is a front elevation showingmy improved deflector for headlights in. l ght Figure 2 is a side elevationof the same, also indicatingby dotted lines the normal open position of the deflector-.

'F'gurefi is a plan view of-one of the deflectors when in open position. ,Figure 4 is a section taken through the line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral l represents more or Application filed March 14, i924. Serial No. eazvs."

mobile having the headlights 2 and 3 mounted at the'opposite sides thereof in the usualposition. In the illustrative jembodiment of my inventionthe headlight deflec tors arepresumed to be applied to existing less diagrammatically the front of an autoheadlights in the-form of an attachment.

of*the'invention is not violated should the headlights be built especially with a view to receiving the deflectors," as will heroin after appear. I V

The headlights as shown are formed with an ornamental roll rim 4, the,v same being the annular flange by means of which -the It is quite evident, however, that the spirit.

lens 24 is held in place. The headlightde flector is attachedto the rollrim by means of a channeled clamp5 of a cross section shaped approximately to correspond to the curvature of the roll rim and having sufli cient resiliency to permit it to be slipped over said rim and the ends thereofbrought forcibly into juxta-position by means of the bolt and nut 6." The clamp 5 is formedat its upper portion with spaced lugs 7 and 8..

Together, these form the female element of The deflector proper consists '0 a hinge. an opaque curtain 9 made of anyappropriate material such asmetal, and preferably shaped to conformto the "peripheral edge of the headlight when closed and of suflicientextent to shaped substantially the upper half of the headlight lens' The deflector is provided at, its upper part with the male hinge member 10, the latter being positioned between the lugs 7 and 8 and, held in place by a rod 11 passed therethrough and through said lugs, said rod serving both as a pintle -for the hinge and as an operating rod for both deflectors. The hingemember 10 is fixed to the rod l'l'by any suitable means such asthe-set screw 12 so that'when tlie rod is oscillated the deflectors will be operated. Normally the deflectors are held open, that isto say in a position parallel with the beam oflight emanating from the lens of the headlight bv springs 2 one form of which is'shown in detail in Figure 4 and I consists of a resilient Wire bent around the rod 11 between the male. and female men1-,

bers of the hinge and having the ends thereof engaging respectively the 'clamp 5 and theunder surface .of the deflector 9.

The rod 1l'may be conveniently operated from the foot-board 13of the "auto vehicle by means of a pedal 14, pressure upon which apertured to sl-id'ably receive the rods and 21. Said rods are preferably pivotally attached at their outer ends to lugs 22 and 23; formedat opposite sides of the deflecto r. The objeetof these rods is to brace the deflector against lateral displacement and also V .to limit the range of the opening movement in line with the rays of light passing out thereof: For the accomplishment of the latter function the free ends of the rods 20 aretln'eadedafor a considerable distance and provided with the stop nuts 25.

A rubber buffer 26 is carried by each of the rods intermediate the nuts and the lugs 18 and 19 0f the-clamp 5, the object of said bufl'er being to cushion the contact of the parts when the deflectors'are suddenly opened and thus to prevent Vibration; or rattling. As

it is desirable that some illumination should be directed distally of the automobile even when the deflectors are in light-deflecting position Ihave provided the deflectors with transparent portions 28 so lo cated as to be directly from the bulb or other source of illumination. These transparent portions may take the form of mere arcuate cut-outs in the deflector, or-may be of clear or suitably colored membrane'ot glass or other light transmittingmaterial. covered' material heingpreferred. as it occludes the transmitted light sufliciently to render it free "from objectionable glare.

In operation the deflectors are normally maintained in the position shown in full" lines in Figure l, lying parallel with the beam of light en'iergin'g from the lens of the headlight. \Vhen an approaching vehicle is encountered" the operator presses-upon the pedal 1ft shown in Figure 2, actuating the lever 17 through the Bowden wire 16 and oscillating the rod 11 thereby depressing the deflectorsto thedotted line position of Figure l. The deflector then causes the upper part of the reflected beam to be thrown to the roadway, merely, the directly transmitted rays from the bulb passing through the transparent portion 28. 7 When it is desired again to outline the full illumination of the headlights the pedal is released permitting the springs 127 to return the deflectors to theirnormal open position; By taking up on the nuts 25* the positions of the deflectors when fully opened may be varied.

attached, as an accessory to headlights already in use,- yet it is perfectly feasible under the terms of my invention to have it built in to the lamp structure when the lamp is manufactured. This may be done by making the female portion of the hinge and the lugs 18 and 19 a part of the lens retainingflange, or by riveting t'l'i'em thereto. It is also obviousthat should the shape of the lamp henna-circular; the eonfigura tion of the deflectors may be' so altered as to correspond thereto.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not wishto limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

Having described my invention what I claim as new' and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1 A deflector" for headlights of the type which includea reflector anda centrally located source of light, comprising a movable curtain normally positioned out of the path of the reflected beam of ligl'it emanating from the headlight, and means for tilting said deflector downwardly to a position obstructing the upper part of said reflected light beam, said' ci'1rta'ii'1'- being constructed to terminate, wh'en' in operative position, substantially in a plane embracing the h'orizontal diameter of said lens, and a light transmitting inset carried by said curtain, said inset being; substantially concentric with said lens when the curtain is in operative position, and extending above and below the terminal edge of said ci'irtain;

2 A deflector torli'eacl'liglits of, the type which include a efleetorand a source of light, comprisingan annular clamp embracing said headlight, a curtain hinged to the upper part of said clamp and normally positioned out of the path of the reflected beam of light enianating from the headlight, said clam-p being provifd'e'dwith lateral guiding lugs, rods pimmlly attached to opposite sides of said curtain and having their free ends .passingth'roughsaid guiding lugs and means fortiltingsaid deflector downwardly to a position obstructing the npper part 0!? said reflected light beam sai'd curtain being providedwith a transparent portion to permit )assage, when in light-deflecting posi tion of directly transmitted rays from said source of light. j

A deflector for head-lights otthe type which include a reflector and a source of light comprising an annular clamp embracing said headlight, a curtain hingedly mounted to the" upper portion of said clamp and normally positioned out of the path of the reflected beam emanating. from said headlight, said clambeing provided with .which include a reflector and a source of mounted to the upper portion of said clamp and normally positioned out of the path of the reflected beam emanating from said headlight, said clamp being provided with lateral guiding lugs, rods pivotallyattached to opposite sides of'said curtain, the free endsof said rods passing through said lugs, nuts threadedly engaging said free ends, elastic buffers on said rods intermediate said nuts and said'guiding lugs, and means for tilting said deflector downwardly to a position obstructing the upper part of said reflected light beam. 7 u

5. A deflector for headlights of the type light, comprising a curtainhingedly mounted at the top of said headlight and normally positioned out of the path of'the reflected beam of light emanating therefrom, said lamp being also provided with lateral guid ing lugs, rods pivotally attached at opposite sides of said curtains having the free ends thereof passing through said lugs, nuts threadedly engaging said free ends, elastic bufl'ers on 'said rods intermediate said nuts and lugs and means for tilting said deflector downwardly to a position obstructing the upper'part of said reflected light beam. I I

6. A deflector for headlights of the type which include a reflector and a source of light, comprising a curtain hingedlymounted at the top of said headlight and normally positioned out of the path of the reflected beam of light emanating therefrom, said lamp being also provided with lateral guiding lugs, rods pivotally attached at opposite sides of saidicurtains having the free ends thereof passing through said lugs, nuts 'threadedlyengagmg said free ends, elastic buffer-son said rods intermediate said nuts and lugs, and pedal operated means for tilt,- ing said deflector downwardly to a'position obstructing the upper part of said reflected light beam, said curtain being provided with a transparent portion constructed to permit passage, when in light-deflecting position of directly transmitted rays from said source of light.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I i i r R FUs L, ANDERSON. 

